In the latest incident of religion-linked violence in the country, a mob stormed a police station in eastern Pakistan on Saturday and lynched a man under custody and accused of blasphemy - a crime under Pakistani law, which can carry the death sentence.
The man in his early 20s, Muhammad Waris, was taken into police custody after a mob attacked him for allegedly desecrating the Koran, police spokesman Muhammad Waqas told Reuters News Agency.
However, the mob stormed the station in Punjab province, took Waris out of the premises, stripped him naked, and dragged him into the streets before beating him to death.
With only a handful of officials present in the station at the time, police couldn't resist them, said Waqas, adding that reinforcements were able to stop the mob from setting the body alight.
International rights groups have long been raising concerns over Pakistani authorities not doing enough to stop lynchings of blasphemy-accused people.
One of the highest profile cases was the lynching of a Sri Lankan garment factory manager - Piryantha Kumara - in 2021. Six men were sentenced to death in a mass trial that involved at least 80 suspects after the incident prompted national and global outrage. However, other incidents of religion-linked violence rarely see similar actions.
Two senior police officers have been suspended over their inability to stop the crowd, a statement from the police said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered action against those involved and also questioned why the violent mob couldn't be stopped.
The faith of the person lynched is still unknown.
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